kindergarten – keeping warm – fish – mahjong June 26, 2010
Posted by freda in China.3 comments
Shortly after we moved here I learned that Tina (GM wife) did volunteer work in a local Chinese school and I expressed my interest in doing the same. But then we had our first visitor, Elsie, and after she left a few other activities intervened, and my good intentions were put on hold. Finally, during my mother’s visit, I made it to the school with Tina and two other women she had recruited, Rachel and Shelley. The school we go to is small, only a few classrooms, and we do our time in the two classrooms of the youngest children, kindergarten age approximately. The children are absolutely adorable. Shelley and I took the youngest class that first day, and have continued in the same class. For 45 minutes to an hour, in English, we sing songs, read stories, recite the alphabet, count, and do shapes and colours. The kids repeat after us, or sing along with us – at least they do the actions to the songs – or listen to us read the story and then the teacher translate the story into Chinese. Sometimes they fall asleep! (See “Sleeping Chinese” blog.) But, I was not offended by what appears to be boredom, because I’m pretty sure the reason they nod off is that they’re too hot. My first time in the classroom was in April and it was warm. I was wearing pants and a tshirt. All the kids had on jackets in the classroom. When one little girl finally struggled out of her coat, I saw she was wearing two sweaters underneath!!
The Chinese are very concerned about being cold and catching cold and consequently the children are always over-bundled, particularly in the spring. There was an article in the newspaper about keeping warm in early spring. To quote: Traditional Chinese Medicine doctors say the average daily temperature should be above 15 degrees C. before people start taking off the wraps and wearing lighter-weight clothes. A Chinese proverb goes, “chun wu qiu dong” or bundle up in the spring and stay cool in autumn (literally spring muffling, autumn freezing). According to TCM, spring is the season for new growth when ‘yang’ (“hot” energy) rises in the universe and gradually builds. But in early days the ‘yang’ is still too weak to resist the still-cold environment, just as vegetable sprouts need a greenhouse in early spring. ‘Wu’ (bundling up) is necessary for people so the ‘yang’ energy can gradually reach its peak in summer. Low-level ‘yang’ in early spring can mean lower immunity and the body can be vulnerable to “invasion of pathogenic energies” that cause illness. Today TCM practitioners say the reasons for keeping warm are frequent temperature changes. “The body’s temperature adjustment system is still in the winter mode, so heavy clothes help keep in the heat,” says Dr. Zheng (from Shanghai University of TCM). The article went on to suggest which body parts needed to be kept warm to protect against different ailments. Fascinating. (Of course the children are not the only ones overdressed. Older woman will never be seen with bare feet; in the summer they wear ankle-length nude socks inside their sandals. )
I just have to add how impressed I am with the children in the classroom I “entertain” in. (It does feel somewhat like “entertainment” as we “perform” at the front of the classroom!) Most (though, not all) of them know how to count to 10, recite the alphabet, colours, shapes, and animal names in English, and know at least the chorus to a few songs that we sing. (They love the hokey-pokey!) And that’s their second language. I’ve worked in enough schools to know not all of our children can do the same in their own language at this age.
Here are the children, all adorable.
singing "five little ducks went out one day...."
down to three little ducks now
you can see some children wearing coats, though some not
and this little guy will soon be asleep!
And one last picture, to illustrate the “nude ankle-socks” (which I actually took two years ago when Don and I were in China).
this was taken in Taikung Lu, one of my favourite areas of the city
A few days after my large balcony pot (that I purchased in Jingdezhen) was delivered, Mr. Shi told me that in China this pot is not for plants but rather for water, lotus flower and fish. That seemed like a great idea to me, and even though I only had one month left in the city, I decided to become a pet-fish-owner. Mr. Shi took me to the flower market to buy the lotus flower. The market is also where you buy the fish, but first the water had to sit in the pot for three days, to be safe for the fish (!), so I window-shopped the fish, but didn’t buy. Mr. Shi did all the work….
llotus plant in the pot, and then rocks to hold the roots down
a closer look at the rocks holding down the plant
Mr. Shi filling the pot with water
fish for sale in the market
and happily swimming in my bowl
I had no idea there would be such ‘trauma’ involved in having pet fish….
Mr. Shi bought me two of the orange fish (I don’t know what kind they are, but they look like baby koi, or large gold fish) and one mottle-coloured one with buggy-out eyes. Not long after they arrived, one morning I went out to feed them and the mottle-coloured one was floating. Ewww. Luckily Don was home; he scooped it up by the tail and flushed it down the toilet! When I told Mr. Shi one fish had died, he asked “red fish??” (I think they’re orange, not red, but whatever.) I said no, the other one. He said, “red fish good, other one not so good.” Hmmm. Makes me wonder why he bought that one!! Anyway, a few days later he arrived with three new fish! So, then I had five, though I couldn’t tell I had five fish because the water had become very dirty.
A few days later, before taking me shopping, Mr. Shi came early on purpose so we could clean out the big fish bowl. The water was very dirty and slightly brackish. So the fish were caught and put into one of the smaller bowls – I could finally see I had five! Then water dumped, lotus plant and rocks taken out, pot cleaned, plant back in, rocks back in, new water – which has to sit for two days before it’s safe for the fish. So, gave the fishies a little food in their temporary small pot and went out shopping.
five little fish in a little bowl
going after food
Came home rather late (6:00), checked the fish before going next door to Rosemary’s for a glass of wine, only to find three fish in the bowl!! HUH?!? I have suicidal fish!! I look behind the bowl, and there’s one lying dead beside the bowl — but no sign of the fifth fish! So, where it has jumped to I’m not sure, though there is a crack in the patio, on purpose, for draining water, and I guess it could’ve slipped through the crack. 😛 Good grief! Fish parenting is tough!!
Mr. Shi came the next day, lifted up the cement block of the patio, and yes indeed, the fish had fallen underneath the block. I was down to three fish. (Echoes of the song “five little ducks went out one day, over the hills and far away, mother duck said quack quack quack, and only four little ducks came back.” How to re-write it for fish?!?)
Once again Mr. Shi went to the market and came over with two new fish, one orange and one multi-coloured (not with buggy-out eyes, though, so I guess it’s an ‘okay’ kind). Is five a lucky number?? Not to my knowledge. I have no idea why Mr. Shi thinks I should have five fish, but five is the number, and the number is five. (That’s a variation on a Monty Python line, though my boys would have to tell me from what skit.) And today, when I woke up, my lotus flower was blooming! I’m so glad I got a flower before I leave on Saturday for Canada….
the flower
only one, but it's lovely, surrounded by huge leaves
and you can see one of my fish
just a head poking out, looking for food
a little hard to see, but here's the multi-coloured one
In case you’re wondering – no, I couldn’t obtain Canadian passports for the fish, so they are going to a new home at the end of the week. My friend Kim’s three children, Aimee, Hanson and Cadence will be foster parents. I will take a picture of their new home and post it. Fish-parenting has been a story-filled experience!!
As already mentioned in previous blogs, part of my Shanghai time has been spent learning how to play mahjong. I really enjoyed it, and hope to continue playing in Detroit. I’ve now got all the paraphernalia needed for playing – a table, the tiles and rails and a beautiful box to keep them in, and even a tray with a tile showing mahjong-playing ladies, for serving drinks on.
the box, made especially for a mahjong set
inside the box, compartments for the tiles and wooden rails
the table (excuse the plastic wrap still around the table legs)
the serving tray
A few weeks ago we had our last mahjong afternoon before everyone goes “home” for the summer. Our host, Dorothy, decided we’d have a potluck lunch before playing. We were all thrilled with her contribution: a box of chocolates decorated like majong tiles – gorgeous works of art and sinfully delicious too!
almost every tile represented in chocolate
Janine, Raquel, me and Dorothy
Okay, that’s all for now. Don is ‘home’ for the weekend. Today he is golfing and later today we’ll have massages. Monday (tomorrow) is his ‘going away’ party with his Shanghai office staff, which we will both attend, and then Tuesday morning he’s back to Detroit. I have many errands this coming week, and a lot of packing to do for my upcoming six weeks in Vancouver-Detroit-Venice. I will try to finish the blogs about my day trips to the “embroidery town” outside of Suzhou, the peasant famer’s painting village of Fengjing, and to Hangzhou before I leave town…. I will try.
Until then, cheers!
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